Today's edition of YouTube Tuesday is in honor of the supreme job Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton did of pulling the steel wool over the eyes of voters recently.
Our national delusion continues, HUZZAH!
tagged: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, sock puppet, George Orwell, 1984, Ingsoc, satire
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Monday, June 09, 2008
Dino night
We headed to KC’s bustling downtown Saturday night for the much anticipated (by our 5-year-old) Walking with the Dinosaurs show.
Thanks to a connection through A Friend of Ours, we had a choice view from about 15 rows up from the floor of the Sprint Center. We had just found our seats as the lights went down and the narrator began.
It was an impressive production. The narrator described, in upper grade-school level terms (which is good news for those of you in Arizona), the geographic and environmental forces that influenced the evolution of dinosaurs from Pangaea in the Triassic to the dino-killing meteor strike that hit Mexico at the end of the Cretaceous.
Not that a five-year-old cares about the scientific mumbo jumbo. We were there to see the dinosaurs. Or, as my five-year-old corrects me, the robots made up to look like dinosaurs.
The dinos lived up to their billing. Through a combination of clever puppetry and sophisticated animatronics, the production company brought out life-sized versions of all the characters made famous in your childhood reading: Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Raptor, Brontosaurus (well, in this case Brachiosaurus) and, of course, Tyrannosaurus Rex.
It was great entertainment and included a 20-minute intermission that allowed me to grab a lemonade and M&Ms for the kid and a Bud Light for myself (all for the low, low price of $15).
The show proper was appropriate for the elementary-age target audience.
That's not to say it was boring to adults. The dinos were indeed impressive... and loud.It's just to say that it was light on the blood and guts factor during the staged fights between carnivore and herbivore. So it wasn't scary as far as that goes.
In fact, the scariest dinosaur of the night was the Grandmasaurus we ran into after the show while standing on line for a souvenir. The great beast roared angrily at the harried booth-tender as he showed her t-shirt after t-shirt until she finally, after what seemed like 20 minutes, chose one for her grandkid.
Anyway, they don't allow professional quality or flash photography at the show, but here are some craptacular pics I got with the camera on my phone.
tagged: Kansas City, Walking With The Dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triassic , Pangaea, Cretaceous, meteor, animatronics, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Brachiosaurus, meteor
Thanks to a connection through A Friend of Ours, we had a choice view from about 15 rows up from the floor of the Sprint Center. We had just found our seats as the lights went down and the narrator began.
It was an impressive production. The narrator described, in upper grade-school level terms (which is good news for those of you in Arizona), the geographic and environmental forces that influenced the evolution of dinosaurs from Pangaea in the Triassic to the dino-killing meteor strike that hit Mexico at the end of the Cretaceous.
Not that a five-year-old cares about the scientific mumbo jumbo. We were there to see the dinosaurs. Or, as my five-year-old corrects me, the robots made up to look like dinosaurs.
The dinos lived up to their billing. Through a combination of clever puppetry and sophisticated animatronics, the production company brought out life-sized versions of all the characters made famous in your childhood reading: Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Raptor, Brontosaurus (well, in this case Brachiosaurus) and, of course, Tyrannosaurus Rex.
It was great entertainment and included a 20-minute intermission that allowed me to grab a lemonade and M&Ms for the kid and a Bud Light for myself (all for the low, low price of $15).
The show proper was appropriate for the elementary-age target audience.
That's not to say it was boring to adults. The dinos were indeed impressive... and loud.It's just to say that it was light on the blood and guts factor during the staged fights between carnivore and herbivore. So it wasn't scary as far as that goes.
In fact, the scariest dinosaur of the night was the Grandmasaurus we ran into after the show while standing on line for a souvenir. The great beast roared angrily at the harried booth-tender as he showed her t-shirt after t-shirt until she finally, after what seemed like 20 minutes, chose one for her grandkid.
Anyway, they don't allow professional quality or flash photography at the show, but here are some craptacular pics I got with the camera on my phone.
tagged: Kansas City, Walking With The Dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triassic , Pangaea, Cretaceous, meteor, animatronics, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Brachiosaurus, meteor
Friday, June 06, 2008
Friday Blogthing: Beee-ach!
I'm thinking it's time for an island vacation.
Unfortunately, given the landlocked character of my Overland Park domecile and the current high cost of gas and air travel, the only island I'm likely to visit in the near future is Nelson Island.
Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just not long on beach front property (maybe birch front property, but that's not really the same thing).
So, I guess I'll have to settle for a little online blog beach quiz...
tagged: Friday, blogthing, Franklin Island, vacation,, beach, blog, quiz, meme
Unfortunately, given the landlocked character of my Overland Park domecile and the current high cost of gas and air travel, the only island I'm likely to visit in the near future is Nelson Island.
Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just not long on beach front property (maybe birch front property, but that's not really the same thing).
So, I guess I'll have to settle for a little online blog beach quiz...
What the Beach Test Says About You
You like people, but you're careful about who you get close to. Friendship is important to you... so important that you aren't just friends with anyone.
You fall in love with ease and confidence. Even if you've had bad experiences in the past, each new love is a reason to start completely over.
You are deeply passionate about several things in your life. You're not passionate about much... and the few passions you have are truly obsessions.
Your sense of humor is intellectual and obscure. Only really well educated people get your jokes.
tagged: Friday, blogthing, Franklin Island, vacation,, beach, blog, quiz, meme
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Probing thoughts
Some local bloggers have been having a nerdgasm about the recent trip of the Pheonix probe (heh) to our nearest planetary neighbor, Mars.
It's all very exciting, the prospect of finding the building blocks of life on another planet, the achievement of sending our technology across the solar system to do our bidding, the thought of Americans colonizing another world.
But, lost in all of the hype we forgot about one very important group. I mean, don't get me wrong, I applaud our efforts to bring democracy to Mars. I'm just not so sure how keen the Martians are on the idea.
What might their feeling be about us probing their planet, acting all big and dusting off their ice and all?
How would you feel if a powerful nation shoved a thinly veiled metaphor in the shape of a robot arm into your polar ice cap?
Like I said, I support our invasion. I'm just sayin' we should let the Martians know what they're in for. And I think a good ambassador would be deep thinker Jack Handey.
A couple of years ago, Mr. Handey penned (keyboarded?) a piece for The New Yorker letting us know just what he would say to the Martians. It is cleverly titled, What I'd Say to the Martians.
Here's a snippet of audio taken from a recent episode of PRI's Studio 360. You can hear the entire essay there.
tagged: Mars, Pheonix, ice, planet, Martians
It's all very exciting, the prospect of finding the building blocks of life on another planet, the achievement of sending our technology across the solar system to do our bidding, the thought of Americans colonizing another world.But, lost in all of the hype we forgot about one very important group. I mean, don't get me wrong, I applaud our efforts to bring democracy to Mars. I'm just not so sure how keen the Martians are on the idea.
What might their feeling be about us probing their planet, acting all big and dusting off their ice and all?
How would you feel if a powerful nation shoved a thinly veiled metaphor in the shape of a robot arm into your polar ice cap?
Like I said, I support our invasion. I'm just sayin' we should let the Martians know what they're in for. And I think a good ambassador would be deep thinker Jack Handey.
A couple of years ago, Mr. Handey penned (keyboarded?) a piece for The New Yorker letting us know just what he would say to the Martians. It is cleverly titled, What I'd Say to the Martians.
Here's a snippet of audio taken from a recent episode of PRI's Studio 360. You can hear the entire essay there.
tagged: Mars, Pheonix, ice, planet, Martians
YouTube Tuesday: numbnuts?
num ● nah
–noun
1) a pad that goes under the saddle to keep the saddle clean and to cushion the horse's or pony's back.
tagged: numnah, spelling, spelling bee, humor, Sameer Mishra
Monday, June 02, 2008
In which I get punked by identity thieves
It was the damnedest thing.
When I received a mysterious package from BOMC2, I just kind of chalked it up to some kind of marketing gimmick. When I want a book, my first stop is Half Price Books on Metcalf. If I can't find it there, I hit up Amazon.
But a book club? Hmmm, I don't think so. But feel free to send me a comp copy.
Like I said, I sort of dismissed the book as an unsolicited marketing ploy to try to get me to join the club, that is until a few days later when another mysterious package arrived for me.
This time, it contained a selection of Gevalia coffees along with a note reading "Here is your first order. Your credit card has been charged $9.95. We hope you enjoy this selection of delicious Gevalia Gourmet blah blah blah..."
So now I'm thinking something strange is afoot. Two mysterious, unsolicited packages arrive at my door in less than a week? Something smells fishy, and this time it's not Meesha's nipples.
I call the customer service number listed on the Gevalia shipping invoice and say, "Yo, what up biotch! I di'int order this sheeeat!"
We discuss the matter for a few minutes and I learn that the order was charged to one of my credit cards. I make it clear, in no uncertain terms, that I don't want the coffee subscription and please cancel the account and any future orders.
Next I call my credit card company and, after navigating the IVR menu for a few minutes, I get the fraud department. I learn that the book and the coffee are two of three unauthorized charges to my account, the third being a $10 charge to Blockbuster.com.
I get everything straightened out with Credit Card Co. They suspend the account, lock down the number and order me up a couple of new cards (one for me, one for the missus). We rarely use the cards, which really is what allowed us to catch these recent charges as the red flags that they are.
But I do have some lingering questions, like just what the hell is going on here? I hardly ever use the card, so how did the perpetrator(s) get the number? If this is some kind of credit card theft, why buy only three items, each of which is only ten bucks or less? And why have the items shipped to my address?
So I concluded that I've either been hit by retarded identity thieves, or I'm being punked by some joker who thought it would be funny send me goofy stuff that I didn't really want. Thing is, books and coffee aren't as funny as, oh, I don't know, a new iPod.
Whatever the case, let this be a warning to you kids to keep an eye on your credit card statements. Check your balances regularly and if you find anything suspicious in your mailbox, be sure to panic first and ask questions later.
And that's... One to Grow On®
tagged: credit card, fraud, BOMC2, Gevalia, Blockbuster, Half Price Books
When I received a mysterious package from BOMC2, I just kind of chalked it up to some kind of marketing gimmick. When I want a book, my first stop is Half Price Books on Metcalf. If I can't find it there, I hit up Amazon.
But a book club? Hmmm, I don't think so. But feel free to send me a comp copy.
Like I said, I sort of dismissed the book as an unsolicited marketing ploy to try to get me to join the club, that is until a few days later when another mysterious package arrived for me.
This time, it contained a selection of Gevalia coffees along with a note reading "Here is your first order. Your credit card has been charged $9.95. We hope you enjoy this selection of delicious Gevalia Gourmet blah blah blah..."
So now I'm thinking something strange is afoot. Two mysterious, unsolicited packages arrive at my door in less than a week? Something smells fishy, and this time it's not Meesha's nipples.I call the customer service number listed on the Gevalia shipping invoice and say, "Yo, what up biotch! I di'int order this sheeeat!"
We discuss the matter for a few minutes and I learn that the order was charged to one of my credit cards. I make it clear, in no uncertain terms, that I don't want the coffee subscription and please cancel the account and any future orders.
Next I call my credit card company and, after navigating the IVR menu for a few minutes, I get the fraud department. I learn that the book and the coffee are two of three unauthorized charges to my account, the third being a $10 charge to Blockbuster.com.
I get everything straightened out with Credit Card Co. They suspend the account, lock down the number and order me up a couple of new cards (one for me, one for the missus). We rarely use the cards, which really is what allowed us to catch these recent charges as the red flags that they are.
But I do have some lingering questions, like just what the hell is going on here? I hardly ever use the card, so how did the perpetrator(s) get the number? If this is some kind of credit card theft, why buy only three items, each of which is only ten bucks or less? And why have the items shipped to my address?
So I concluded that I've either been hit by retarded identity thieves, or I'm being punked by some joker who thought it would be funny send me goofy stuff that I didn't really want. Thing is, books and coffee aren't as funny as, oh, I don't know, a new iPod.
Whatever the case, let this be a warning to you kids to keep an eye on your credit card statements. Check your balances regularly and if you find anything suspicious in your mailbox, be sure to panic first and ask questions later.
And that's... One to Grow On®
tagged: credit card, fraud, BOMC2, Gevalia, Blockbuster, Half Price Books
Friday, May 30, 2008
Friday Blogthing: We all scream
With a heat index forecast to be near ball-boiling today, one sure way to keep cool is a nice scoop of ice cream (or, as I prefer, Foo's Fabulous Frozen Custard, but that's just me).
Anyway, be carefull what you order. You're ice cream selection can say a lot about you...
tagged: Friday, blogthing, heat, humidity,, ice cream, Foo's, quiz, blog, meme
Anyway, be carefull what you order. You're ice cream selection can say a lot about you...
Your Ice Cream Personality:
You are an incredibly modest person. You don't feel comfortable bragging about yourself... or even receiving complements.
You are incredibly cautious. You rather miss out on something than make a mistake. No one would ever call you wild... but they would call you responsible.
You are a somewhat open minded person, but deep down you're fairly conservative. You don't like trying new things very much. And if you do find something new you like, you stick with it.
You tend to have a one track mind. You prefer not to multitask.
You are a serious and contemplative person. You definitely do your own thing in life.
tagged: Friday, blogthing, heat, humidity,, ice cream, Foo's, quiz, blog, meme
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Bullitt list -- 05.29.08
Today's category:Names I'm considering for my new punk band...
tagged: Bullitt, punk, zip line smugglers, toilet possum, bombs, Toad Venom Aphrodisiac, monkey, robot
Movie Mini Review: The Curse of the Golden Flower
Title: The Curse of the Golden Flower (Man cheng jin dai huang jin jia)
Cast: Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, Jay Chou, Liu Ye, Chen Jin
Plot summary:
Set in feudal China’s Tang Dynasty, Emperor Ping (Chow Yun-Fat) returns home to the Imperial Palace to celebrate the Chrysanthemum Festival with his family.
The Emperor has summoned his second son, Prince Jai, home from the frontier, and he has ulterior motives. But while the emperor has been away on military campaigns, his wife, Empress Pheonix (Gong Li) has been making clandestine plans of her own. Behind the silk veneer of the Forbidden Palace, all is not as it seems and tragedy awaits.
My thoughts:
I was home sick a couple of weeks ago and, while in a drug-induced stupor, the only activity I could effectively manage was channel surfing.
Luckily, I hit one of the action movie channels at the upper end of the dial while The Curse of the Yellow Flower was just beginning.
I watched the subtitled version, which I always recommend because overdubbing ends up looking awkward and cheesy. And even though I don’t understand the spoken language of the film, I think overdubbing tends to strip out the emotional inflection of the actors and waters down the director’s original vision.
And the director had a stunning vision for this film. Director Zhang Yimou (House of Flying Daggers) brings us his stylized view of 10th-century China with sweeping vistas and vibrant colors. The camera work and musical score are really amazing, creating an epic film in the best sense of the word.
In the early scenes, I was expecting a martial arts tour de force, but Yimou soon exceeded my expectations. This isn’t just another wire-fighting kun-fu movie, although there is plenty of that (not to mention cleavage) and fans of that style won’t be disappointed.
But it is also a provocative story about the excesses and pitfalls of absolute power, the complexity and fragility of family relationships and the destructive force of greed.
The Curse of the Golden Flower has been criticized as a soap opera set in feudal China, a kind of dynastic Dynasty. And the film can be a bit over the top, especially in the final act. But in my opinion it’s a good kind of over the top, like a tragic Italian opera, and completely in context.
My final rating: Set Your DVR.
Favorite quote:
"What I do not give, you must never take by force."
tagged: movie, China, The Curse of the Golden Flower, Tang Dynasty, film, review, Zhang Yimou, Gong Li, Chow Yun-Fat
Cast: Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, Jay Chou, Liu Ye, Chen Jin
Plot summary:
Set in feudal China’s Tang Dynasty, Emperor Ping (Chow Yun-Fat) returns home to the Imperial Palace to celebrate the Chrysanthemum Festival with his family.
The Emperor has summoned his second son, Prince Jai, home from the frontier, and he has ulterior motives. But while the emperor has been away on military campaigns, his wife, Empress Pheonix (Gong Li) has been making clandestine plans of her own. Behind the silk veneer of the Forbidden Palace, all is not as it seems and tragedy awaits.My thoughts:
I was home sick a couple of weeks ago and, while in a drug-induced stupor, the only activity I could effectively manage was channel surfing.
Luckily, I hit one of the action movie channels at the upper end of the dial while The Curse of the Yellow Flower was just beginning.
I watched the subtitled version, which I always recommend because overdubbing ends up looking awkward and cheesy. And even though I don’t understand the spoken language of the film, I think overdubbing tends to strip out the emotional inflection of the actors and waters down the director’s original vision.
And the director had a stunning vision for this film. Director Zhang Yimou (House of Flying Daggers) brings us his stylized view of 10th-century China with sweeping vistas and vibrant colors. The camera work and musical score are really amazing, creating an epic film in the best sense of the word.In the early scenes, I was expecting a martial arts tour de force, but Yimou soon exceeded my expectations. This isn’t just another wire-fighting kun-fu movie, although there is plenty of that (not to mention cleavage) and fans of that style won’t be disappointed.
But it is also a provocative story about the excesses and pitfalls of absolute power, the complexity and fragility of family relationships and the destructive force of greed.
The Curse of the Golden Flower has been criticized as a soap opera set in feudal China, a kind of dynastic Dynasty. And the film can be a bit over the top, especially in the final act. But in my opinion it’s a good kind of over the top, like a tragic Italian opera, and completely in context.
My final rating: Set Your DVR.
Favorite quote:
"What I do not give, you must never take by force."
tagged: movie, China, The Curse of the Golden Flower, Tang Dynasty, film, review, Zhang Yimou, Gong Li, Chow Yun-Fat
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
YouTube Tuesday: Raptor
This is my response to Meesha's first strike. As Richard Vernon would say, when you mess with the bull, you get the horns.
tagged: movie, YouTube, video, military, fighter, jet, Raptor, Richard Vernon
tagged: movie, YouTube, video, military, fighter, jet, Raptor, Richard Vernon
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